China’s rise has been accompanied by its growing presence in maritime affairs. With China possessing the largest fishing industry in the world, its national fishing industry constitutes a central...Show moreChina’s rise has been accompanied by its growing presence in maritime affairs. With China possessing the largest fishing industry in the world, its national fishing industry constitutes a central player in China’s expanding maritime presence. The fishing industry is vital for China’s food and economic security, and thus securing access to and power over fish resources is essential. Consequently, China’s fishing industry has been expanding beyond China’s inshore waters to the regional waters of the South China Sea and distant waters surrounding Africa and Latin America. As China’s fishing activities become increasingly global, the fishing industry will increasingly affect global ocean governance. Therefore, this research paper tackles the question of how the geopolitics of China’s fishing industry impacts upon contemporary global ocean governance, and specifically investigates China’s fishing operations in the regions of the South China Sea, West Africa, and Latin America. Through performing a within-case analysis, analyzing the case of China’s fishing industry, and drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data sources, it is evident that China’s geopolitically driven fishing activities in the various regions pose a threat to the central pillars of the current global ocean governance regime, namely the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Sustainable Development Goal 14, and blue economic development. Therefore, the geopolitics of China’s fishing industry undermines contemporary global ocean governance.Show less
In this thesis, I analyse the European Union’s puzzling persistence on its protectionist Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) despite the policy’s economic pitfalls. Referencing Olson’s (1971) “Logic...Show moreIn this thesis, I analyse the European Union’s puzzling persistence on its protectionist Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) despite the policy’s economic pitfalls. Referencing Olson’s (1971) “Logic of Collective Action”, I find that the answer to this puzzle generally lays in the strength of the agricultural lobby. I show that, relative to European consumers, the agricultural sector’s actors, the farmers, enjoy the concentrated financial benefits from the CAP. Moreover, the relative costs of lobbying are lower for farmers than for consumers, providing the former with a greater incentive to form a strong interest group lobbying for the CAP’s persistence in the EU. I also find that the persistence of the CAP is channelled by the EU’s institutional structure which favours specific economic interest groups over representatives of public interests.Show less
With a ubiquitous contemporary discourse on China’s hegemonic rise and current territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China’s historical rivals joining the major power’s grand economic...Show moreWith a ubiquitous contemporary discourse on China’s hegemonic rise and current territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China’s historical rivals joining the major power’s grand economic projects seems anomalous. This paper will show that despite historically problematic China-Vietnam relations, Vietnam still agreed upon joining the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI) due to a dependence on China for national survival. More specifically, an economic interdependence forces Vietnam to cooperate with China on projects like the BRI, as Vietnam’s regime legitimation relies on economic growth. This reality is more so related to the implications of Vietnam hypothetically refusing, than to agreeing to join however. Defection instead of cooperating on the BRI, would make Vietnam’s economic growth precarious as Vietnam is familiar with how China reciprocates these choices. Although this still leaves multiple factors forcing Vietnam’s BRI membership an unlikely reality, this paper will show that these factors are overridden by the US as a significant actor when it comes to Vietnam's cooperation on the BRI. And when it comes to reasons why China has decided to integrate a ‘historical enemy’ into the BRI, one will find that China’s contemporary dependence on Vietnam is a significant variable in the matter. These findings will be made apparent by applying game theory’s prisoner's dilemma to the bilateral event of Vietnam joining China’s grand economic initiative.Show less
Economic development happens in many ways in many different places and there are various possible explanations for the varying results. East Asia is one area that has experienced periods of...Show moreEconomic development happens in many ways in many different places and there are various possible explanations for the varying results. East Asia is one area that has experienced periods of impressive economic growth since the 1960s, yet the divergence within the region is considerable. This thesis explores the economic development paths of South Korea and Thailand and will analyse, using secondary literature and some secondary quantitative data and statistics, two indicators that may help explain the divergence between the two countries. These two possible factors the relationship between the state and the private sector and human capital accumulation and its impact on research and development (R&D) and technological capacity.Show less
The Asian International Financial Centres (IFC) are growing in importance within the global economy. Increasingly they are becoming the control centres of financial flows and innovation. In...Show moreThe Asian International Financial Centres (IFC) are growing in importance within the global economy. Increasingly they are becoming the control centres of financial flows and innovation. In particular, the aspiring IFCs of Shanghai and Seoul have remarkably increased in status and competitiveness. This research discusses a possible explanation for their increase in competitiveness. Both cities have large systemic differences from the well-established Western IFCs, as government control and policies have been predominant in the East-Asian region. Nevertheless, they are flourishing in the international financial system based on market mechanism. During the Asian Financial Crisis, Asian centres have undergone many changes and multiple government reform policies have been carried out to enhance the financial sectors. Within this research, the influence of the crisis and changes in the determining factors for competitiveness are scrutinized. The four main determinants constituting an IFC set the parameters for the two case studies of Shanghai and Seoul. The results suggest that the government focus on rapid technological and infrastructural developments have contributed the most to the increase in competitiveness. Moreover, these developments are a part of a shift towards high-end technology industries and services and the overarching government-driven transition towards a knowledge economy.Show less
Research has shown that major causes of financial crises, like leverage and the overvaluation of financial assets, are due to the recurring problem of excessive financial risk-taking in financial...Show moreResearch has shown that major causes of financial crises, like leverage and the overvaluation of financial assets, are due to the recurring problem of excessive financial risk-taking in financial markets. This thesis examines whether using a more conservative investment approach could make financial crises less likely - and to do so, I focus on value investing as the example of a conservative investment approach. Value investing is a small, but persistent niche in the financial markets, whose core ideas are inversely correlated to some of the main causes for financial crises. It cautions against large amounts of debt, argues for conservatively valuing financial assets, and warns that humans are fallible beings that don’t always behave rational in financial markets. Using the dot- com crisis and the Great Recession of 2007-2009 in the United States as study cases, I find that there is compelling evidence that a conservative investment approach can potentially make financial crises less likely by reducing exposure on over-leveraged assets, avoiding overvalued assets and counter the misleading assumption of human infallibility in the financial markets.Show less
The New Order government (1966-1998) put great emphasis on developing Indonesia's agricultural sector. In this thesis, I aim to trace back the origin of this emphasis to the Dutch colonial regime...Show moreThe New Order government (1966-1998) put great emphasis on developing Indonesia's agricultural sector. In this thesis, I aim to trace back the origin of this emphasis to the Dutch colonial regime during the period of its Ethical Policy (1901-1942). Specifically, I explore the argument whether the New Order elites' historical experience of a bureaucratic Dutch colonial state can explain the New Order government's emphasis on agriculture. I argue that the existing state in the Indonesian archipelago in either period may not be as strongly bureaucratic as previously thought, that the argument of the New Order elites' historical experience of a bureaucratic Dutch colonial state may not explain the New Order government's emphasis on agriculture, and that both regimes' approaches to agricultural development may not be viewed entirely as state-led. These conclusions call for a reassessment of the existing state in the Indonesian archipelago in both periods together with a shift from state-centred to state-society approaches.Show less
This thesis compares two Indonesian cash transfer programs, the Bantuan Langsun Tunai (BLT) and the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), in order to find whether conditional or unconditional cash...Show moreThis thesis compares two Indonesian cash transfer programs, the Bantuan Langsun Tunai (BLT) and the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), in order to find whether conditional or unconditional cash transfer programs prove more effective in improving the future investments of participants. This is studied by looking at the effect of the program on the education and healthcare of participants, the effect on the expenditures of participants and finally on the labour incentive of participants. The study shows that the conditions applied in the PKH were slightly more effective in increasing future investments of participants, however that the complex implementation of a conditional program and the lacking of an administrative system to support this in Indonesia, prevents the program from reaching an optimal result.Show less
This paper discuss about what are problems caused by the disruptive technology on employment matter in different countries in Asia, namely Indonesia, Singapore and China. Different approach taken...Show moreThis paper discuss about what are problems caused by the disruptive technology on employment matter in different countries in Asia, namely Indonesia, Singapore and China. Different approach taken by each government to solve the issue.Show less
The increasing number of young and first-time voters on the current election shows the significant role of young people in determining the future of the country. The level of political involvement...Show moreThe increasing number of young and first-time voters on the current election shows the significant role of young people in determining the future of the country. The level of political involvement within a country has a significant impact on every aspect of its citizen's lives, especially when discussing the youth in a particular society. This phenomenon occurs elsewhere in the world, especially with the enormous progress of communication and information technology. As such, youth are becoming increasingly involved in political developments in their respective regions, including within Indonesia. This paper seeks to investigate the reasons behind the increase in the youth's political participation in democratic Indonesia. By looking at two characteristics of social media, the findings indicate that social media has a powerful impact on the increasing involvement of the Indonesian youth in politics explicitly. It is necessary to understand the impact of social media growth in this case, as it could be developed into a more positive and effective method to make use and gain benefits from the technology.Show less
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been deemed as the most successful regional grouping in the history of Southeast Asia, most notorious for its achievement in creating and...Show moreAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been deemed as the most successful regional grouping in the history of Southeast Asia, most notorious for its achievement in creating and maintaining peace and stability in the region comprising 10 countries with vastly diverse political, economic and socio-cultural background. The territorial claims concerning South China Sea by four ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Philippines and Viet Nam) against China remains the most pressing challenge for the region up to the present day. While ASEAN has taken up the issue under its multilateral framework in which ASEAN and China have been working towards a code of conduct in South China Sea, it is found that ASEAN itself is inconsistent in its position when it comes to South China Sea as evident in its political stance through its annual statement and communique. Such inconsistency is in line with various critics on ASEAN’s informal and weak institutionalisation due to its lack of sense of regional belonging. As ASEAN itself has repeatedly emphasises the need of ASEAN centrality in regional and international set up, the foresaid issue is inarguably a testament to ASEAN centrality. Taking into account that the conduct of ASEAN depends very much on its annually rotated chairmanship, in which the chair has the responsibility to ensure ASEAN centrality, this thesis aims to investigate how a country’s national identity affect its regional identity under ASEAN’s regionalism with regard to the South China Sea issue through ASEAN chairmanship. To this end, this thesis investigates how Myanmar, Malaysia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), as ASEAN chairs in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively, led ASEAN in achieving a common position on South China Sea and how prominent are their national identities in their undertakings.Show less
Role of Developing Country in Providing Aids to Refugees: the Case of Thailand By Paew Pirom s1906887 8/20/2017 Master’s thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree...Show moreRole of Developing Country in Providing Aids to Refugees: the Case of Thailand By Paew Pirom s1906887 8/20/2017 Master’s thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations Abstract The refugee crisis happening across the world today is a humanitarian issue that impacts every nation both directly and indirectly. The over 22.5 million refugees currently scattered across different regions are subject to international protection according to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. However, most of the host countries into which such refugees arrive are that are developing countries, and this creates problems. In the Southeast Asia region, the refugee problem is a protracted one. Thailand, along with many other developing countries, does not have adequate capacity to resolve the refugee crisis alone. Even though the country has been accepting millions of refugees onto its soil over the past 30 years; it has also been severely criticized by the international community regarding its treatment of refugees with claims that these allegedly infringe on basic human rights. Moreover, the policy to push back some groups of refugees also violates international customary humanitarian law. Yet, the reason behind this state policy is often rooted in security concerns and in the political priorities of the country. This research will explore the core concepts of the international refugee regime, such as the non-refoulement principle and the universality of humanitarianism, in order to explore their interpretation in Thailand. The purpose of the study is to determine the gap between the differing approaches and perspectives towards the refugee mission in a global and national context. Following from this, will be a discussion on whether or not the status of a country as ‘developing’ has been overlooked or devalued, particularly when that country has faced the mass influx of refugee populations for decades. Ultimately, the thesis seeks to explore whether international humanitarian principles and instruments, that have overwhelmingly been set by developed countries and enforced upon the rest of the world, have failed to consider the historical or political contexts of developing countries, and that this might foster the view that developing countries act as rights violator without sufficient recognition of that state’s relative role in alleviating the global refugee problem. The research will review the refugee policies of Thai government over the past 40 years, examining factors that influenced those decisions, what consequential impacts or outcomes resulted from them, and the responses or involvement of the international community to Thailand's refugee policies in a number of cases. Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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Income inequality in Indonesia increased rapidly between 2003 and 2011. The Gini coefficient increased 28 percent, from 0.32 to 0.41 over the period. My dissertation aims to identify the underlying...Show moreIncome inequality in Indonesia increased rapidly between 2003 and 2011. The Gini coefficient increased 28 percent, from 0.32 to 0.41 over the period. My dissertation aims to identify the underlying driving factors behind the drastic increase. The dissertation deals with the three potential driving factors for the rising income inequality in Indonesia: The commodity boom in 2003-2011, the changes in the structure of Indonesian growth, labour market and wages in the 2000s, and the impact of fiscal policy. I find that the commodity boom between 2003 and 2011 had a strong distributional consequence by substantially altering the distribution and relative returns of capital and labour through two channels: Firstly, through generating prominent capital-incomes for the capital-owners. And secondly, the commodity boom was associated with the adverse development in Indonesian labour market in the 2000s via Dutch Disease effects. The labour market development, for the lower income quintiles, was characterized by increased shifts from higher productivity and formal employment to low productivity, low pay, and informal employment in the service sector and small manufacturing firms. While simultaneously the formality rate and skill premium increased in the highest income quintile relative to the rest. I also find that the use of fiscal policy to mitigate the distributional consequences of the commodity boom has been inadequate. The fiscal policy between 2003 and 2011 has, to a large extent, neglected pro-poor and pro-growth measures, strongly reflecting the lack of political will to balance out the increasingly unequal income distribution in Indonesia.Show less
